ISSN: 0514-7336 — ISSN electrónico: 2386-3943 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14201/zephyrus2020853752 PHOENICIAN-INFLUENCED METALLURGY IN CENTRAL PORTUGAL. THREE SOCKETED ARROWHEADS WITH SPUR FROM MONTE FIGUEIRÓ (ANSIÃO) La metalurgia de influencia fenicia en el centro de Portugal. Tres puntas de flecha de arpón lateral de Monte Fiegueiró (Ansião) Raquel Vilaça*, Carlo Bottaini** and Ana Margarida Arruda*** * Instituto de Arqueologia. Faculdade de Letras. CEAACP. Univ. de Coimbra (Portugal). Rua de Sub-Ripas 3000- 395 Coimbra (Portugal). Correo-e: [email protected] ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0019-7256 ** HERCULES Laboratory. Univ. of Évora (Portugal). Palácio do Vimioso. Largo Marquês de Marialva, 8. 7000-809 Évora. Correo-e: [email protected]. ID ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2464-468X *** UNIARQ-Centro de Arqueologia. Univ. de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras. Alameda da Universidade. 1600-214 Lisboa (Portugal). Correo-e: [email protected]. ID ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7446-1104 Recepción: 1/02/2020; Revisión: 05/03/2020; Aceptación: 30/03/2020 Abstract: This paper presents the results of a study carried out on three previously unpublished Iron Age socketed arrowheads with spur from Monte Figueiró –Central Portugal–, a site located between the Tagus and Mondego rivers. This region is of the utmost importance to understanding how Mediterranean influences penetrated along the Iberian Atlantic coast and up to the inland Portuguese territories, through Phoenician traders, since the Early Iron Age –8th century bc–. The socketed arrowheads with spurs, originally produced in the South-eastern end of Europe, namely in the Black Sea area, are virtually unseen in the Portuguese territory, where only another similar item has been found at Castro Marim –South Portugal–, in contrast with Spain, more specifically with the Guadalquivir region, where they are quite frequently found. Therefore, the occurrence of the three socketed arrowheads from Monte Figueiró is a challenging discovery, since Central Portugal is a pe- ripheral area with respect to the Iberian regions that underwent an actual Phoenician colonisation. Based on this assumption, this paper will not focus just on typological and technological issues, but it will go a bit further, also reflecting on what these three artefacts can reveal about the interaction between indigenous inland communities from Central Portugal and Phoenician traders. Key words: Central Portugal; Early Iron Age; socketed arrowheads with spur; Phoenicians; Orientalizing world; archaeometallurgy. Resumen: El presente artículo da a conocer los resultados del estudio de tres puntas de flecha de arpón lateral de la Edad del Hierro inéditas procedentes de Monte Figueiró –Centro de Portugal–, un yacimiento entre los ríos Tajo y Mondego, en una región de importancia capital para la comprensión de la difusión de las influencias mediterráneas a lo largo de la costa atlántica ibérica y hasta el territorio interior portugués, a través de los merca- deres fenicios desde la i Edad del Hierro –s. viii a. C.–. Las puntas de flecha de arpón lateral, producidas origi- nalmente en el extremo sureste de Europa, concretamente en el área del Mar Negro, son casi desconocidas en el territorio portugués, donde solo se había hallado una pieza semejante en Castro Marim –Sur de Portugal–. Sin embargo, son muy comunes en el Sur y Sureste de España, región en la que se difundieron a raíz de los contactos Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca / Zephyrus, LXXXV, enero-junio 2020, 37-52 38 R. Vilaça, C. Bottaini and A. Margarida Arruda / Phoenician-influenced metallurgy in central Portugal… con el mundo fenicio. La presencia de tres puntas de flecha de arpón lateral en Monte Figueiró representa un dilema complejo, ya que el Centro de Portugal constituye un área periférica respecto a las regiones ibéricas en las que se produjo una colonización fenicia propiamente dicha. A partir de esta suposición, este artículo no se centrará solo en el tema tipológico y tecnológico, yendo un poco más lejos y reflexionando sobre lo que estos tres artefactos pueden revelar sobre la interacción entre las comunidades indígenas del centro interior portugués y los mercaderes fenicios. Palabras clave: Portugal Central; i Edad del Hierro; puntas de flecha de cubo con arpón; mundo fenicio; Orientalizante; arqueometalurgia. 1. Introduction1 northern coasts of the Black Sea area (García Guinea, 1967: 69; Lorrio et al., 2016: 60). However, they Arrowheads, made of stone –mainly silex– or are also found in other regions of the Mediterra- copper-based alloys and used either for hunting nean, namely in Iberia (Giardino, 1995: 230), or combat, are very common artefacts in the late where they rank among the most iconic metal types prehistory. During the Bronze Age of Western associated with the Phoenician presence/influence Iberia, however, the growing multiplication and in the Western Mediterranean. diversity of metal weapons were accompanied by a The three socketed arrowheads from Monte decreasing importance of arrowheads that became Figueiró represent the westernmost occurrence of almost residual from the Late Bronze Age, when this specific kind of artefacts known in Europe so swords and spears reached their peak of occurrence, far. It should be also stressed that in the Portuguese particularly in hoards or settlements. In the next territory, only another socketed arrowhead with period, i.e. Iron Age, the situation did not change spur is known, having been found at Castro Marim, much, and arrowheads remained very rare in the Southern Portugal2, in the mouth of the Guadiana Portuguese territory. It should be noted that even river, in an area that was geographically and cul- in the central-south regions of Portugal, i.e. the turally closer to the core geography of Phoenician areas with greater contact with the Phoenician and influence in the Iberian Peninsula (Arruda, 1999- Oriental worlds, arrowheads are virtually unknown. 2000, 2014). Socketed arrowheads with spur are usually con- Thus, and notwithstanding the lack of archaeo- sidered of Oriental origin, specifically from the logical information on the three arrowheads from Monte Figueiró, their presence in inland Central 1 We are deeply grateful to J. E. dos Reis Coutinho for Portugal is a highly relevant data contributing to a letting us use the materials that, for many years, remained better understanding of the process that lead to the deposited at the Archaeology Institute of the Department of History, European Studies, Archaeology and Arts of penetration of Mediterranean influences along the School of Humanities of the Univ. of Coimbra. We the Atlantic coast of Iberia. are grateful to V. H. Correia, former Director of the Conimbriga Monographic Museum, for his support and his help in the processing the pieces studied in this paper. We 2. Monte Figueiró also thank M. I. Cunha e Silva, Director of the D. Diogo de Sousa Museum, at Braga, and the restoration experts V. Monte Figueiró, municipality of Ansião, Leiria Hugo and I. Marques for their restoration work of the three arrowheads, after removal of the samples. The analytical district, also known as Cabeço de Trás de Figueiró, study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (fct) by feder funds through 2 Pereira, T.: Os artefactos metálicos do Castelo de Cas- compete 2020, Portugal 2020 and by National Funds tro Marim na Idade do Ferro e Época Romana. Metalurgia em through fct under projects uid/Multi/04449/2018 (poci- transição: a amostra numa análise de conjunto. Unpublished 01-0145-feder-007649) (hercules Lab/ue). Master Thesis, defended in 2008 in the Univ. of Lisbon. Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca / Zephyrus, LXXXV, enero-junio 2020, 37-52 R. Vilaça, C. Bottaini and A. Margarida Arruda / Phoenician-influenced metallurgy in central Portugal… 39 or Cruzeiro, is a hilltop settlement located in Cen- km north (Fig. 2). Today the mount looks harsh tral Portugal, south of the Mondego river, right and inhospitable, almost wild, despite the changes at the Western Meso-Cenozoic edge, between the occurred throughout time, particularly in the last 30 limestone mountains of Sicó, to the West, and years: first, the in-depth agricultural works, mean- the dolomitic hills3. It rises at 375 m above sea lev- while abandoned, destroyed the structures and ex- el, joining the following geographical coordinates, posed many archaeological materials; secondly, the Datum wgs84: -844027 Longitude and 3997527 installation of a telecom tower and antennas also Latitude (Fig. 1a). Its orography is peculiar, having damaged the archaeological levels. a trapezoidal profile (Fig. 1b), with an accentuat- Although no archaeological excavations have ed unevenness between the mesa-like hilltop and been carried out at Monte Figueiró, the site has the bottom, a rather steep northeast slope and a provided a large collection of materials –namely smoother ramp-like south slope. The mount, com- metals, pottery and lithic– that unequivocally re- posed of poor rocky soils, is characterised by the veal a long-duration occupation of the site, from irregular mesa-type limestone pavement, typical of the Chalcolithic until the Middle Ages (Coutinho, karst landscapes4. Currently, vegetation is scarce, 1994: 113; Coutinho, 1995)5. However, the ar- prevailing shrubs of kermes oak and prickly broom, chaeological context of these objects is complete- rosemary, thyme, and white thyme among others. ly unknown. Some of those materials were partly The site has ample views over the entire ad- collected by Father Eduardo dos Reis Coutinho, joining plain, also allowing its control of the so- namely during the December ploughing and the called Rabaçal slump, accompanying the route of wheat harvesting season, in the Summer. Other the Caráglio Seco –or Rio Mouros– rivulet valley, materials were donated (Coutinho, 1994: 113)6. which runs west of the archaeological site. This According to the information available in the site natural corridor extends as far as Conímbriga, 18 of the Portuguese Directorate-General for Cultural Fig. 1. A) Location of Monte Figueiró within Central Portugal; B) the mount where Monte Figueiró is located.